If You're Going to Sell Yourself, Sell It to Me - Chapter 68

Georgiana gently laid the now sleeping Angela down on the bed, which was filled with dolls.

Angela, buried among the dolls, looked heartbreakingly adorable.

As Georgiana glanced around, her eyes were drawn to the charming and cute decorations typical of a child’s room, and a pang of emotion struck her heart.

She had never owned a doll. Even in poor households, children usually had a handmade rag doll, but she couldn’t make one herself, as Marianne had always warned against wasting money on frivolities. Not even scraps of fabric could be used for something as unnecessary as a doll.

Now, as an adult, she had no reason to buy or make a doll. Time lost could never be regained, and she had come to terms with that painful reality.

But now, at least, she could do anything she wanted.

Quickly erasing her bitter expression, she forced a smile.

As she tried to move away from the bed, Georgiana felt a tug at her clothes and turned around.

Angela, still half-asleep, had tightly grasped the hem of Georgiana’s blouse.

Should I try to gently slip her fingers off?

She couldn’t just pull away, as it might hurt Angela’s small hand or wake her up. With a serious look on her face, Georgiana pondered how to leave the room without disturbing the child.

Catherine, who had been watching them, didn’t bother asking and simply pulled at Georgiana’s blouse. Angela’s hand, still clutching the fabric, was pulled along before it finally let go of the tension.

Fortunately, Angela remained asleep, but Georgiana’s face flushed with anger at what she had witnessed.

“I hope you refrain from such actions in the future.”

Since she couldn’t speak loudly with Angela nearby, Georgiana gave a subdued warning.

“Wouldn’t it be better for the young lady to release her grip on that cheap fabric than risk hurting her hand?” Catherine replied dismissively, her chin raised, as she walked out into the hallway.

Georgiana, still in shock, followed her. A torrent of retorts filled her mind, but Catherine seemed unwilling to listen.

“This will be your room from now on.”

The room Catherine led her to was decorated entirely with Indian tapestries, featuring intricate plant designs.

A faint aroma of herbs filled the air, and everything except the white bedding—the rug and curtains included—was a deep green, giving the impression of standing in the middle of a garden.

Large windows facing the garden allowed ample light into the room, and a breeze blowing through the open window lightly tickled Georgiana’s chin.

Inhaling the fresh air deeply, she closed her eyes to calm her rising anger.

“This is the room with the best view of the garden in the Anais estate. The late Madam and Miss Angela used to spend a lot of time here. Sometimes, even the master’s visiting relatives stay in this room.”

Catherine spoke unprompted, emphasizing the word “madam” as if to imply that Georgiana was to be wary of her intentions.

She had no such intention, but Catherine’s comments made her doubt the maid’s motives. Such a comment would be unthinkable for a regular servant.

Since Raymond had warned her, Catherine hadn’t openly shown hostility, but there was clearly an uncomfortable tension between them.

Sigh…

Sensing the challenges ahead, Georgiana let out a small sigh.

The room had a small bathroom and a closet attached.

“Is that all your luggage?”

Standing in front of the large wardrobe, Catherine sneered at her modest suitcase. Georgiana felt no shame, considering that she had arrived here just days earlier with nothing but a handbag.

It was far better than the time she wore tattered clothes to beg her friend Emily for new ones.

Poverty was nothing to be ashamed of. What was shameful was disrespecting others simply because they were poor or taking advantage of one’s own family.

Georgiana squared her shoulders defiantly.

The room was at least ten times larger than the one she had in Humblelum. As she explored, she noticed another door on the wall, in addition to those leading to the bathroom and closet.

She tried turning the doorknob, but it only made a clicking sound; it was locked.

“That door connects to Miss Angela’s room. You’ll be using the door connected to the hallway, so there’s no need for you to open this one.”

“I see.”

Though she replied as such, Georgiana resolved to keep the door open for Angela whenever she wanted it.

“There is a set time and place for the servants’ meals, but I’ll ask the master where you’ll be eating. The previous tutors usually didn’t live in, so they didn’t share meals with us… but this case is different.”

Catherine’s tone seemed to imply disbelief that she might be eating with Raymond.

“Alright, please let me know later.”

Georgiana responded casually, indifferent to where she would be eating. Technically, she wasn’t an invited guest, so it made sense for her to eat with the servants.

As long as she had enough to eat, it didn’t matter with whom she shared a meal, and she nodded in agreement.

“The master mentioned that he wanted me to bring you to the study after you settled in, though it doesn’t look like that will take long. Should we head there now?”

“Oh, uh, yes…”

Georgiana nodded, slightly taken aback by Catherine’s rudeness.

Raymond’s study was located at the eastern end of the hallway. As they walked down the crimson-carpeted corridor, Catherine paused and looked at her.

“Since when have you known Miss Angela?”

“Why do you ask?”

“As someone who oversees the household and cares for Miss Angela, I think it’s necessary to know more about a stranger who appeared out of nowhere.”

The pointed question made Georgiana’s expression tighten.

“That’s something I believe I should discuss with Mr. Rivern.”

“Well, the master has a rather soft heart. Ever since the madam passed away, he grants Miss Angela’s every wish.”

“Should I relay those exact words to Mr. Rivern?”

Taken aback by Georgiana’s unexpected response, Catherine quickly shook her head. “N-no. I apologize if I offended you.”

Though their time together had been short, Georgiana had already deduced why previous tutors had left.

How could anyone endure open hostility and distrust from a household servant, especially when there was no madam to manage it?

As she stood before Raymond’s study, Georgiana’s mind was swirling with complex thoughts.

Knock, knock.

After knocking on the door, Catherine left without looking back.

“Come in.”

Georgiana hesitated for a moment before pushing the door open. She saw Raymond sitting at a massive walnut desk, piled high with documents, and paused.

“Am I too early? I hope I’m not disturbing you.”

“Not at all. It seems you finished unpacking rather quickly.”

“There wasn’t much to unpack.”

Raymond’s face filled with an expression of guilt at her nonchalant response.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”

“Truly, it’s alright.”

“Please, have a drink first.”

A teapot and cup sat on the table, steam gently rising from them. Raymond poured the tea himself and handed her the cup.

As Georgiana took a sip of the pale golden tea, she felt her restless heart calm.

The tea wasn’t the usual black tea, but a mild herbal blend that lingered in her mouth.

“This isn’t black tea, is it?”

Noble families usually served black tea at this hour, so she was curious. Could it be that customs were different in the New World? After all, Locke had preferred coffee.

Seeing her confusion, Raymond explained, his eyes on her face, “I thought you must have been quite shaken earlier, so I prepared an herbal tea to help you relax.”

The thoughtfulness behind his choice made Georgiana’s eyes widen.

No one had ever considered her feelings when preparing something before. As she realized that Angela’s kindness clearly stemmed from this man, she offered her thanks.

“Thank you. I’m enjoying it.”

Suddenly, she noticed a black stain on the right cuff of his shirt. It looked like an ink stain, probably from working with documents, and there were multiple small drops scattered around.

The cravat, which she had assumed was neatly tied, was also slightly wrinkled, and even his hair seemed a bit tousled.

Kind, but a little careless—that was Georgiana’s first impression of Raymond.

“I’ve drafted a contract for you to review. If there’s anything you’d like to change, please let me know.”

“Of course.”

Taking the document from him, Georgiana’s eyes widened as she read it.

The contract seemed almost as if the roles of employer and employee were reversed, so heavily was it weighted in her favor.

“Did you write this yourself?”

“Yes, I did. Is there a problem?” Raymond tilted his head, his expression puzzled.

Georgiana silently added another impression of him to her mental list: he seemed even less worldly than she was.